


To Be Alive

by smileynerd256



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Deviant Connor (Detroit: Become Human), Gen, Light Angst, Mah boy has feelings now, Post-Pacifist Best Ending (Detroit: Become Human), but also fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-30
Updated: 2018-11-30
Packaged: 2019-09-02 18:42:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16792573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smileynerd256/pseuds/smileynerd256
Summary: What Connor was up to between Hart Plaza and reuniting with Hank.





	To Be Alive

_Ping. Ping. Ping._

Connor walked the empty streets of Detroit, flipping a nickel he’d found forgotten in an ATM. It was four hours and thirty-eight minutes since Markus and the others had left Hart Plaza. Connor had slipped away as the other deviants went back to the old church. He wasn't sure if it was...safe for him to be around them. Amanda’s cold presence still lingered at the back of his processor, and he didn't dare test the connection to see if it was still there.

Which was completely irrational. Well...perhaps. If the connection _was_ still there, he didn't want to endanger anyone in the time it took to find the back door.

He shuddered, and felt a weight shift in the small of his back.

_The gun._

He yanked it out, disassembled it and hurled the pieces into a bank of plowed snow, taking several shallow breaths as he backed away.

He’d nearly killed Markus.

He’d barely made it out of the Zen Garden.

He’d made it back in time to keep himself from pulling the trigger, but it was close...too close.

He couldn’t let that happen again.

If Amanda was still in there, if she could still take control, it wouldn’t matter how far he was from Jericho. The location was in his memory. He could still be forced to take Markus out.

After checking the street to make sure he was alone, he sat on a nearby bench and closed his eyes to access the Zen Garden.

Nothing happened.

He dug deeper and ran a diagnostic.

His connection with Cyberlife was gone.

Relief flooded his systems and he sagged against the bench. He was free. A small laugh bubbled from his chest and he leapt from the bench and started running, feeling the cold wind in his hair. He was _free._

He ran for awhile, paying little attention to what direction he took. Thirty-eight minutes later, he slowed to a walk, and stopped.

City lights twinkled on the water. A snow-covered bench faced away from an equally buried playground.

_“Nice view, huh?”_

Connor brushed the snow away and perched on the back of bench. It _was_ a nice view. He could appreciate that now.

He wondered what Hank was doing, and considered going to his house until he remembered that humans needed at least eight hours of sleep to stay healthy. With the stress of the last few days, Hank probably needed all the sleep he could get.

He pulled out the nickel and flicked it back and forth, adjusting to its smaller size and weight.

Being a deviant, being _free_ was...complicated. He was glad to be free of Cyberlife’s control, yet part of him already missed the structure of having an objective, a mission to accomplish.

All he had now was a few strings of broken code. Not that he would want to go back to being a puppet, but...he needed _something_ to do.

He pushed himself off the bench and started walking, the fresh snow muffling his footsteps. It had stopped falling over an hour ago.

Light from the streetlamps gleamed off the white powder as he passed covered yards and dusted trees. It was...beautiful. Calm in a way that the Zen Garden had never been.

He wandered through neighborhoods with the occasional display of Christmas lights, and shops with dimmed lights and darkened neon signs.

The eastern sky grew lighter as he reached the precinct, peering through the glass. A few lights were on inside from the officers working night shifts. He wondered if he would be able to work there again as a detective (not “The Android sent by Cyberlife”) with Hank as his partner. With the events of last night, there was a good possibility.

He would like that.

He crossed the street and let his feet guide him as the sun peeked above the horizon, casting slanted beams of light that made the snow sparkle.

He turned a corner onto a familiar road and started for the Chicken Feed.

A lone figure stood in front, arms crossed, waiting.

As Connor got closer, he made out the shaggy gray hair and dark jacket, and quickened his pace.

Hank had his back to him, but turned around as Connor got within earshot.

Connor paused, unsure of how to proceed.

Hank’s mouth slanted up in a lopsided smile.

Connor felt himself return the expression as inexplicable warmth blossomed in his chest. Hank stepped closer and pulled him into a hug, like it was the most natural thing in the world. And as Connor wrapped his arms around Hank, digging his fingers into his jacket, he understood.

Being alive wasn’t just about fear and rebellion and fighting to be free. It was about love, and warmth, and feeling....joy. It was about being part of a family.

**Author's Note:**

> Yoo! This fandom has eaten me alive and I don't have any regrets. I just...love Connor's side of the story and how his relationship with Hank develops so BEAUTIFULLY.  
> Anyway...hope you enjoyed this! Comments and kudos are greatly appreciated! :D


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